Hapoel Be'er Sheva Football Club was founded in 1949, one year after Israel's declaration of independence. Although not one of the country's traditional giants, they have enjoyed major success on occasion and have represented Israel in a number of European competitions. Based in Beersheba, the team are nicknamed HaGmalim, which translates to 'The Camels'.

After competing in the lower leagues, the club gained promotion to the top flight for the first time in 1965. After bouncing between the two divisions, Hapoel Be'er Sheva entered into a golden era during the 1970s, where they picked up their first league championship win in the 1974-75 campaign. The team were also able to pick up the Israeli Supercup in 1975, before retaining their league title the following season. To date, these remain their only two league wins.

The 1996-97 season saw the team lift the Israel State Cup for the first time, after defeating Maccabi Tel Aviv 1-0 in the final. Further domestic success has come in the Toto Cup Al, which they won in 1988–89 and 1995–96, and the Toto Cup Leumit, which they collected in 2008-09. Throughout the years, they have participated in a number of continental competitions, including the UEFA Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup.

Yossi Benayoun is perhaps the best-known footballer to have played for the club and the Israel international was a product of the team's youth academy. Other notable former players include names like Alon Mizrahi, Maor Melikson and Ofir Haim.

Hapoel Be'er Sheva's home matches are played at Vasermil Stadium; officially called the Arthur Vasermil Municipal Stadium. The venue opened in 1960 and was renovated in 2001. It is an all-seater stadium, which is shared with the other major local team, Maccabi Be'er Sheva, and can currently hold up to 13,000 supporters.